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Prepared from the source scan: surroundings removed and the sheet levelled where required. The source record remains available below.
The Posters That Went to War · The Home Front
Wish I Could Join Too! WAVES
John Philip Falter (1910-1982) · U.S. Navy, Women's Reserve (WAVES), 1942–1945
Format
Archival pigment giclée on museum-grade matte art paper, color-managed to the source scan — the flat inks and stone grain intact. The 40×60 is the room-changer.
Size
$39.00
What it is
A Navy recruiting poster John Philip Falter made for the WAVES, dated between 1942 and 1945, held by the National Archives as 44-PA-2437 in its World War II Posters series.
Why it matters
The WAVES, the Navy's women's reserve, were established by Congress on 21 July 1942 to free men for sea duty. Falter is best known for his many cover paintings for The Saturday Evening Post, and this is one of four WAVES sheets by him in this group.
What to notice
The line is spoken by someone who cannot sign up, which leaves the woman who can with no reason left to wait.
Envy, put to work for the Navy.
Provenance
- School
- The Second World War Poster (United States and the world)
- Designer
- John Philip Falter (1910-1982)
- Campaign
- Enlist · Women at War
- Service
- Women’s services
- Format
- Political poster
- Poster published
- U.S. Navy, Women's Reserve (WAVES), 1942–1945
- Source
- U.S. National Archives and Records Administration, World War II Posters series (NAID 516164, local id 44-PA-2437), NARA scan via DPLA and Wikimedia Commons · NARA NAID 516164 · 44-PA-2437
Rights: CLEAR. Public domain — U.S. government work (the WPA Federal Art Project, the wartime agencies), any year. Gated by the poster’s own publication year. Cleared by registry on 2026-11-02. National Archives catalogue re-read 2026-11-02 (NAID 516164, 44-PA-2437): use restriction Unrestricted, access Unrestricted.
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